Backgrounder

‘Laptopgate’: Will the AGO go beyond scapegoating?

A Rp 9.9 trillion (US$610 million) corruption scandal involving the procurement of school laptops by the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry from 2019 to 2022, under the leadership of Nadiem Makarim, has captured national attention.

Danantara’s test case in rescuing bleeding SOEs through cross-subsidy

Danantara has little choice but to rescue financially bleeding state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by channeling dividends from profitable SOEs, as government funds are no longer permitted for such purposes. The market has responded positively to the planned rescue of near-collapse SOEs, though some have warned Danantara of the potential risk of wasting valuable investment capital.

Edition

June 6, 2025

To some, Prabowo’s policy on Israel is not just semantics

When President Prabowo Subianto said Indonesia will open diplomatic ties with Israel if it recognizes the state of Palestine, he was paraphrasing a long-held policy in which Jakarta categorically says "no" to any relationship with the Jewish state until Palestinians gain their independent and sovereign state. Same meaning, but he just put it differently.

KPPU flags monopoly risk in TikTok-Tokopedia merger

Concerns over predatory pricing and unfair competition in Indonesia's e-commerce landscape have resurfaced following the preliminary findings presented during Initial Commission Hearing on May 27, 2025, at the KPPU office. The commisison revealed a notable increase in market concentration after TikTok's acquisition of Tokopedia, raising the risk of monopolistic practices such as tying, bundling, and the influx of low-cost, illegally imported goods onto the Tokopedia platform.

Edition

May 30, 2025

Corruption overshadows discourse on political party financing

Every five years, Indonesia holds a multi-party general election typically participated in by around 20 political parties. But every time the nation launches a discourse on how best to finance these parties, someone in the room will quickly shout "corruption", a reflection of the distrust the public has toward them.

New RUPTL signals energy security prioritized over green transition

The long-awaited 2025-2034 Electricity Procurement Business Plan (RUPTL), launched by the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry on May 26, 2025, signals a shift in the government's energy priorities—placing greater emphasis on energy security over the green transition. The new RUPTL marks a departure from the previous 2021-2030 RUPTL, which aimed for no new fossil-based capacity additions by 2030. In contrast, the 2025-2034 plan delays the significant ramp-up of renewable energy capacity to the second half of the decade, indicating a slower pace for Indonesia's energy transition ambitions.

Edition

May 23, 2025

Jokowi’s desperate search for a political home

In his unending quest to find a political party to call home, former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's name has now been thrown into the mix of potential candidates to contest the upcoming race for the chairmanship of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI). The nascent party has no legislative seats, but it has a fair share of power within President Prabowo Subianto's government.

Prabowo’s appointment of loyalists to tax, customs offices raises alarm

President Prabowo Subianto has once again turned to loyalists with military backgrounds to fill key leadership roles in the Finance Ministry's revenue-generating directorates. His decision to appoint an active military general to head the customs office and an alumnus of military-style Taruna Nusantara (Tarnus) high school to lead the tax office has sparked concerns over the erosion of meritocracy and the growing influence of cronyism in public administration.